With the return to school, the kids have reached new heights of tiredness. We start every day with basketball at 7:30, and they are busy until around 7 or 8 at night.

That doesn’t stop them from stalling at bed time. It doesn’t matter how tired they are, they still like to stay up just that little bit longer.

Yesterday evening, my youngest was dragging things out a really long time. He’d already gotten into his pajamas, and kept finding excuses to be out of his bedroom. Finally, I gave up on the child-herding, and just snuck into his room.

It took him about ten more minutes for his mom to get him his bedroom. He walked in without turning on the light, then turned to put something on his desk.

I leaped out from behind the door. “Ninja!”

It was an epic surprise. First, his whole body went rigid, then he jumped forward. When he realized it was me, he just collapsed onto the floor.

“Okay,” he said. “You got me.”

“Sleep tight,” I said with a grin.

“Yeah right.”

Funny thing this morning: he looked even more tired than he did last night. I can’t figure out why.

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[For more details on the ninja game, just search these tales for Ninja]